Promise of a Lifetime
by xBeautifullyInsanex
Summary: The relationship of the family amongst the first tiers has been on the rocks ever since Doll's death. After an unfortunate event, Joker meets what everyone had thought was his end. It's funny how much we know about the afterlife. Rating may change; Jagger
1. Prologue

**Full Summary:**

The relationship of the family amongst the first tiers in Noah's Arc Circus is on the rocks ever since Doll's death. Joker is spending more time at Father's and listening to his every word, Dagger has turned to alcohol to help cope with his grief, and Beast is afraid of what's about to happen to them all.

After an unfortunate event evolving Ciel Phantomhive, his aunt Angelina Durless, and her butler, Joker ends up meeting the same fate as his younger sister and is shortly followed by Beast. When Beast alerts Joker of Dagger's unusual behaviour as of late, Joker is determined not to let Dagger die as well and does something that neither Dagger or Beast would have ever expected…

**Parings: **Mainly Joker/Dagger, slight Joker/Beast and Ciel/Doll with mentions of Sebastian/Ciel.

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys! It's been like, what, a year since I last uploaded anything? Yeeeaahhh, I fail. Anyway, this is a story I'm working on and I swear I won't drop it like my other ones! I will work on it. I promise. Chapter one is in the works. Promise.

Anyway, it's based on a role play I've done with some friends. So yes, the sequence of things will be different but this will also be a tad different from the role play considering I didn't save anything and I'm writing it from memory~

Well, either way, I hope you enjoy!

OH! And I don't own Kuroshitsuji and its characters. Yana Toboso does. I just own this story.

* * *

Joker knew the family was falling apart. He could feel the tension among them hanging in the air within the first tier tents that particular chilly February night. He had known within days after Doll's Death that something was not right.

Dagger had taken up drinking to help cope with the grief of losing his little sister and had begun to spend time with the very child who had ordered her to be killed, Ciel Phantomhive. No one understood why he was. He often complained about the boy, saying that he was a selfish brat and that he had no right or reason to kill their sister. Yet, he spent quite a bit of time with the young Phantomhive master, regardless of if Ciel wanted his company or not.

Beast started to worry shortly thereafter about what would become of her brother and would often get upset when Joker would simply brush her off and tell her there was nothing to worry about. She had always had a bit of a temper though, so he didn't let it bother him.

He knew Beast had a reason to worry. He knew the Phantomhive child was up to something. He could tell by the way the boy would smirk, the way his aunt's butler would grin but say nothing more, and by the way the lady dressed in red would chuckle quietly on occasion. He knew there was a reason to worry, but he couldn't figure out what the Phantomhive heir was planning. The very thought lingered day in and day out at the front of his mind, often distracting him.

But, despite himself, he did nothing about it. He didn't even question the Undertaker, who he knew was close with Ciel, offered to give Doll a proper burial free of charge, Queen's money or otherwise. Joker had gratefully accepted Undertaker's proposal. It wasn't that the family couldn't afford it, the circus made enough money to get them by, but saving those few extra pennies would help them out and would be one less thing the struggling family would have to worry about.

When Joker began spending more time at Father's, Dagger and Beast had started to become rather disapproving. Joker was only trying to get Father -- who had, for some reason, started to hate Dagger over the years and became a careless, cold hearted man -- to see differently and for the others to realize that deep down, Father was still the man who had kindly taken them into his home years ago. His efforts had been less than successful thus far, but he was determined for them to return to being the happy family they had once been.

So, after buttoning his jacket tight around him and wrapping his thickly knitted scarf around his neck, he opened the flap and stepped out of his tent. The night was quiet and he assumed that most, if not all, of the Circus' members had already retired for the night. He took in the familiar smells of the Circus, the various incents, spices, and smoke, while watching his breath in front of him before weaving his way around the numerous tents.

The crunch of his shoes against the thin layer of snow covering the ground broke the unearthly silence. He was used to the Circus to be filled with laughter and music. At that moment however, the grounds seemed dead. That was, until, he heard footsteps similar to his own, though with a slight limp, behind him. Whoever it was, they were definitely female he concluded, as the tapping of their heels was much sharper than his own.

"You're leavin' us again." It wasn't a question, and the familiar voice struggling to hide its sadness only proved his guess of his follower being a woman.

Stopping in his tracks and turning just enough to see who was behind him, his bright violet eyes immediately met with sad red ones, almost hidden behind thick lashes and dark make-up. She had a wild mess of ebony curls framing her porcelain face -- the red flower that usually rested in the left side of her hair currently absent -- and thin eyebrows that were brought together in worry. Her arms were crossed tightly under her large chest, her body wrapped in a light beige jacket and her legs were covered in fishnet stockings as usual with her heeled boots.

"Go back t'bed, Beast," he said, his voice demanding but calm and quiet. He watched carefully as she took an almost timid step forward, her prosthetic left leg with the ball-joint knee shaking slightly with the weight change. He watched as her cherry painted lips pulled into a frown, obviously not pleased with him treating her as a child seeing as they were practically the same age.

"Joker," she said quietly, "you're goin' back t'Father, aren't you?" Joker remained silent, his gaze falling to the ground. It should be obvious, he thought, seeing as he rarely went anywhere else alone, especially at night, but it was a three day trip at the least and he wanted to get there as soon as possible. Beast eventually took Joker's silence as a yes and continued on, "You're needed here more than with him. Why go?"

"'E's our Father, Beast. 'E's sick an' you know that."

"Yeah," she growled, "he' sick in the head, Joker."

Joker's eyes narrowed into a glare. He was aware of how their father had been acting lately, what with how their younger brothers and sisters back at Father's had been treated over the past few months, but he was still their father. He was still the man who took them off the streets and cared for them as his own when no one else would.

"Don't talk 'bout Father that way," he said, his voice remaining stern. Her lips parted, as if to say something, but she quickly and wisely shut them. Joker was like an older brother, though they were in no way related. None of the Circus members were -- excluding Dagger and herself, and Peter and Wendy -- but they all considered each other as family, especially the first tiers. They all looked up to Joker. He was the natural leader of them all, he always had been. He was the Ring Leader of Noah's Ark Circus, though their father was the real boss behind it all.

Turning back around, Joker shook his burnt orange bangs away from his left eye and continued onward. "I'll be back in 'bout a week," he sighed, "it ain't like I'ma be gone fer long."

"What about Dagger?" she asked as she swiftly followed the taller man, "I can't get him t'stop drinkin', Joker! I'm afraid he'll get sick if he doesn't stop soon. It will start affectin' his health."

Joker stopped once he reached his horse that he had prepared earlier that night, taking a hold of its reins in his left hand. His eyes scanned over its chestnut coat in thought. Dagger, his little brother and best friend, and quite the trouble maker as it turned out. He let out a heavy sigh as he glanced over at the young woman.

"I already sent a letter t'Smile," He said, picturing the Phantomhive boy as he placed his right foot securely in the stirrup before lifting himself up and throwing his other leg around, "I tol' 'im 'bout Dagz's drinkin' problem an' ask'd that 'e make sure 'e don't drink too much."

Beast watched with a worried expression as Joker settled himself in the saddle, his horse giving a small toss of its head and a snort. She stepped forward, her hand running gently down its silky white muzzle. "Can you really trust Smile t'look after him? He killed Doll, Daniel... He could very well do the same t'Dagger." Joker froze for a moment at the sound of his name, his eyes seeming to stare blankly off into the distance.

"Dagger can look after 'imself. 'E's almost an' adult y'know. What would 'e be now, nineteen?" he asked after a moment as he brought himself back to the present.

Beast gave a small nod of her head, watching as Joker's horse bumped its nose against her pockets in an attempt to find a treat of some sort. "He's still my lil' brother," she said quietly, "and I don't trust Smile."

"I know, I know," Joker sighed, "but at th'moment there ain't much more I can do." Easing his horse foreword slightly, he paused beside Beast and lent down before pressing a kiss to her cold cheek. "Go back t'bed, Beast. Try t'warm up an' git some rest, 'kay?"

Beast watched as Joker left the grounds of the Circus, quickly blending into the shadows as the stomping of his horses hooves eventually faded out into the distance. She lifted a hand to her flushed cheek and let her cool fingertips brush against it for a moment before scowling and heading back towards her tent.

* * *

"I'm home, Father," Joker announced three days later as he stood in the dark room just in front of the door. He was bent over slightly in a bow, his right hand resting on the opposite side of his chest. He wore his regular clothes — minus his bow — with his jacket overtop, buttoned up neatly and leaving only two or three left open. A cloak was thrown on over top, a similar violet to his jacket. He had washed and re-styled his hair after the journey as well as re-applying his makeup.

On the far side of the room a few feet in front of him sat a man in a wheelchair. Behind him was a large window that allowed the moonlight to cast a large shadow of the man across the floor, ending about a foot away from Joker. It was hard to make out the shape of the older man's face due to the casted shadows but Joker knew nonetheless what it looked like. It was round and bald, bandages obscuring most of his face, only allowing his eyes and mouth to be shown.

He was surrounded by children, he noticed, no older than ten or eleven he guessed. Most of them were girls, dressed in maid-like uniforms with blank looks on their faces, tending to the Baron like he was their master. The number of them increased since his last visit as well by about two or three.

They often looked too well off and healthy when Joker first met these newer additions. He often wondered if his father had picked them up off the streets as abandoned children like he had with him and the others, or if he had obtained them by other means. He never asked though. If Father wanted him to know, he would tell him when he was ready.

"Joker, my boy!" he cried out in an almost rough voice, lifting his hands off this chair in a welcoming gesture, "Welcome home!"

Joker straightened up and forced a smile. "Thank you," his voice was wavering on a whisper. This place was nothing like a home should be, but Joker knew better than to argue and this was better than the streets he reminded himself.

"Come," the older man said, motioning for Joker to come closer as one of the young girls pushed him toward a seating area to his left "Tell me, how is everyone doing?"

"Not so good," Joker admitted with a small sigh, struggling slightly to use the proper English their father had thought them, as he placed his hands on his knees and sat down in front of his Father after following him across the room.

"Why would that be?"

"Doll died."

There was a long, almost tense silence between the two. Kelvin's face was blank, his eyes widened slightly. Joker was bent forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands laced together.

"When?" came the quiet reply moments later.

"About a week ago. She was at the Phantomhive manor with Smile an' someone got t'her with a chainsaw. We believe Smile was behind it all, we jus' don't know why."

The baron's expression changed slightly at the mention of the Phantomhive manor, but he struggled to look saddened by the news for his son's sake. "Poor Doll. She was such a sweet young lady too."

Joker said nothing. It was all a lie. His expression, his words... he didn't care that she was dead. He could tell. After all, the last time Joker had brought Doll to visit Father — a couple weeks before her death — he had slapped her right in the face. It was then that Joker had done something he had never done before; he stood up to his Father. He told his father that it had been wrong for him to slap Doll. She was still a child and a girl at that, but he wouldn't listen and Joker had left with Doll. He hadn't returned since.

"This… _Smile_," the Baron spoke, tearing Joker away from his thoughts, "what's he like?"

"He was a new member to th'circus," Joker explained, "he's 'kinda short with dark blue hair an' an eye patch over his right eye," the ring leader watched as the Baron's eyes began to widen, "a tall gentleman-type guy liked to follow him around."

"A boy and a butler?"

"Yeah."

"It's him," the Baron's voice spoke quietly; "it's the Earl, Ciel Phantomhive!"

"Yes, but –"

"Joker," the older man interrupted, his voice rough, "you know what you need to do. Gather the others and bring me the earl."

Joker's make-up lined eyes stared at his father before looking away. He didn't want to bring the poor kid to his father's; he never did, not with any of the children he had them kidnap. It was putting a strain on the family as well. But, Joker arose from his seat with a saddened smile and bowed respectively.

"Yes, father."


	2. How it all begins

**Author's Note**

Ahhh! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! But I did manage, so you should be happy about that! This chapter is pretty boring I'll admit, but I'll try to get it moving here pretty soon. It'll get better I promise!

Anyway, Ciel and Dagger get introduced in this chapter. BUT IT'S STILL BORING. GAH. Oh well.

Enjoy either way xD

* * *

"Oi, Smile! Whatcha up to?" the blond male asked rather loudly as he let himself into the young earl's office. The boy behind the desk groaned, dropping his pen onto his desk with an audible clatter. The intruder seemed to be unaware of the Phantomhive heir's obvious distress as he made his way across the room.

"Can't you see I'm busy, Dagger?" Ciel asked as he peered up at the blonde through his bangs, his single blue eye looking rather tired. He watched as the older man, Dagger, huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, the striped pattern on his shirt crossing over each other in a way that almost hurt his vision.

"Yer always busy," Dagger huffed, causing his cheeks to puff out in a childish way.

"Yes, because I run a company. I do not run around a circus all day doing whatever and whatever, whenever I please."

"I dun do that either, y'know."

There was a moment of silence where the two simply stared at one another. It wasn't long before Dagger became awkward under Ciel's cold gaze and he let his arms drop as he shifted.

"Can we talk?"

"No. I'm too busy to sit and have a chat," was the quick response as the pen was lifted from its place on the desk, the tip pressed against the piece of paper and the cold gaze lowered to scan over the wording.

"Please? It's important."

"No."

"You 'ave a fiancée, right?"

Ciel sighed and leaned back in his chair. The boy was rather stubborn and child-like for a nineteen-year-old, he concluded. Why he bothered to put up with him was beyond his reasoning. "Yes, why?"

"Do y'love 'er?"

"What are you trying to get at, Dagger?"

His honey colored eyes fell to the ground and he tugged nervously at his sleeve, "Well, I, uh..."

"It has something to do with your sister, Beast, doesn't it?"

"What? No! It's uhm..."

Ciel raised an eyebrow, "it's...?" If it wasn't Beast, then...

"... It 'as t'do with m'brother..."

* * *

"Y'should come with me t'see Father next time," Joker suggested one afternoon not too long after his return from his last visit. He and Dagger were seated at one of the first tier tables in the mess hall tent, half-empty plates in front of them. The tent was noisy, full of eager second tiers who were starved after a morning full of warming up that would soon lead to an afternoon of practice in the hopes of one day becoming a first tier themselves.

Dagger stopped scraping his fork against his plate and looked up at Joker. He had an eyebrow quirked in his direction and his amber eyes peered curiously at the older male through raven bangs that contrasted against his pale blond hair.

He had changed quite a bit from the little six year boy he had first met fourteen years ago. He had thinned out after losing his baby fat, mostly around his baby-like face, and his knife throwing definitely helped with his figure. His eyes no longer looked large and innocent, but narrower and almost wiser. His hair had been bleached — much like his own — to be a blond color, only his bangs remaining their natural black shade. But he was still young, nearly twenty, and still carried out an almost childlike appearance and attitude.

"Did y'hit yer head?" he asked while leaning forward slightly, still staring at Joker, "Y'know 'e hates m'guts."

Joker forced a small smile, left canine noticeably larger than his right, as he looked down at his plate and poked at his food. "I know, but I tol' 'im 'bout yer drinkin'..."

"Joker..."

"... An' 'e wants t'talk t'ya. I think that if th'two of ya jus' sat down an' talked, maybe y'guys could sort out yer differences," he finished as he glanced up at Dagger, amethyst eyes hopeful yet mischievous at the same time. Dagger scowled and sat back in his chair.

"No," was Dagger's response, short and to the point with the underlain 'end of disscussion' tone, "I ain't goin'." Joker sighed and sat up in his seat, resting his forearms against the edge of the table.

"Dagz, I really want you an' Father t'git along," he tried, his voice on the verge of begging, "Y'know I want th' family t'go back t'normal."

"It ain't happenin'. Father's changed too much, an' not fer th'good either," Dagger countered, "I hate 'im and 'e hates me. We're even."

"Please?"

"No."

There was a moment where neither one talked. Joker thought back to his previous visit to his fathers. _"Bring Ciel Phantomhive," _he had been instructed. As his violet eyes glanced over to his younger brother, an idea struck him. For some reason, beyond the jokester's understanding, Dagger had become attached to the young Phantomhive heir just as Doll had.

"Y'could tell 'im y'can bring Smile t'his place," Joker thought aloud, his skeletal fingers running over his chin as his eyes focused on his brother.

"I ain't bring Smile t'go see 'im either."

Silence.

Dagger just stared at the circus ringleader for a moment, a slight scowl making its way across his face. He wasn't going to see that old man. He was practically rotting away in his mansion, so why would he go? His father's attitude didn't sway his decision much either.

"Yer goin'," Joker said after finishing his lunch as he stood up, "as yer older brother an' boss, I say yer goin'." If asking wasn't going to work with the stubborn young male, then force it would have to be he decided.

"Huh? What? J-Joker wait!" he stumbled over his words as he quickly stood up, nearly knocking his chair over in the process, but it was too late. Joker had already started to disappear amongst the second tiers and Dagger growled.

" 'e's such an ass..."


	3. I can't tell what you're thinking

**Author's Note:**

Waahhh! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but I did! You better be happy! Haha.

This chapter wasn't hard to write, actually. I just got random inspiration last night soo.. here you go!

Not much happens I'm afraid, though it is longer than the next one. It should start getting more exciting starting in the next chapter, and chapter four for sure, so just hang on okay?

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

_Ciel's eyebrow over his right blue eye rose as he stared at the older boy in front of him in near disbelief. He leaned forward in his chair, elbows moving to rest on the mahogany desk to allow his fingers to lace together. _

_ The light shone in to the office from the large windows behind, dark green curtains pulled back and tied neatly on either side. It still rather early, and light caused the shadows of both the desk and Ciel in his seat to be sprawled out on the floor farther than usual._

_ "Your... brother?" he asked cautiously, as if he had not heard the knife-thrower correctly. He watched as the blond standing across from him nodded his head slowly, light brown eyes awkwardly avoiding the earl's gaze._

_ "Yeah, y'know... Joker?" he muttered and Ciel sighed._

_ "Yes, yes. I know who you're talking about. But, what do you mean by your brother?"_

_ "Well, I've been thinkin'..."_

_

* * *

_

Teeth chattered, hands tightening their grip on the horse's reins while the cool February wind whipped at reddened cheeks as the two of them raced through the forest. The snow still held England in its dead cold grasp, and the horses hooves kicked up the undisturbed white blanket in a catastrophic manner as they pounded loudly against the frozen ground. The blue sky was obscured by grey clouds and little light managed to push its way through and illuminate the sleepy world below.

His body shook almost violently as he shook from the cold. Normally in conditions like this, his cloak would've kept him warm but the wind had crept its way underneath the thick dark grey fabric and was now mocking him from behind. His lips were pulled into a scowl as his eyes shifted out from the white path in front of him to his elder brother who barely rode ahead of him.

His eyes were trained on the trail that ducked and weaved between the trees, but they seemed distant as if his mind was focused elsewhere. He seemed tense, but not cold even though his cloak strayed just as much as his own did. He's facial expression was blank, a rare sighting for the circus clown, but not in any way surprising.

He wondered briefly what was on the ring leader's mind. Was it Doll? It would be understandable. Some found the girl a nuisance, like Peter, as she was still young and naive, but Joker was close to the girl and she looked up to him like most would an older brother. He hadn't talked about the youngest first tier's death. In fact, he tended to avoid the subject. It was almost like he was trying to forget that it had ever happened, Dagger figured, that he thought he would return back to the circus and she would come running into his tent like always – chestnut colored hair covering the left side of her face with some sort of treat sticking out of her mouth, bouncy and excited to see the red-headed male while chattering like mad about the events that he had missed while away.

But what if he was thinking about Father? He scoffed quietly as his gaze returned to the barely visible road in front of him. That was a more likely scenario. Joker worried about the old man quite often because of the condition he was in. Maybe he didn't care that Doll had passed away...

He shook his head, raven bangs brushing against the bridge of his numb nose as he did. No, Joker did care. He just wasn't one for giving into emotions easy and preferred to be seen as easy going and cheerful, especially in front of others. He just had to care...

His thoughts began to wander back to his conversation with Ciel the day before they had left. He was beginning to wonder if telling the child was such a good idea. It wasn't like the boy could ever understand, but he certainly couldn't tell his family. Especially Joker, even if he was his best friend. He knew Joker, so he knew that it wasn't as if he would completely cut him out of his life but things would never be the same.

As he glanced over to look at his red haired brother again, he couldn't help the twitching of his lips as they curled up into a small smile. He felt safe going to Father's with Joker, despite how much he hated the man and vice versa. If anything were to happen, he was sure Joker would stick up for him, right? Then again, he couldn't always stand up to his father...

Just then, Joker's violet eyes shifted and caught Dagger's gaze, causing the young of the two to freeze before quickly looking away and scowling. Joker chuckled softly and shook his head, blond extensions brushing against the dark cloak behind him and falling over his shoulders.

He was still an asshole sometimes though.

* * *

After arriving at Father's mansion, Joker and Dagger had headed up to Joker's room to clean up a bit before going to see Father. Joker told Dagger that it would be wise to try to make himself presentable enough for a noble to impress Father, but Dagger simply scowled and mumbled under his breath before turning on his heel and leaving to find the bathroom.

Joker sighed quietly as he sat himself on the edge of his bed, the pale bed sheets bunching up beneath him as he looked around the empty room. His bed – which was much more comfy than his bed back at the circus – was pushed up against the far wall. The bed frame was made of some sort of light coloured wood, the origin unbeknownst to Joker, not that he particularly cared. He never spent much time in his bedroom anyway.

To his right was a small bedside table consisting of two simple drawers with brass handles and was made out of similar wood as the bed. He had next to nothing on top except for an old worn candelabrum with mismatched candles and a photo.

Next to the bedside table was a simple desk with a large mirror placed on top, but there was nothing else really notable about the room. The walls were a dull colour, as well as the floor, with a wooden border half the size of the wall lining the room, but they were bare. The only wall that was of any difference was the one to his left that had three large windows that faced south. The room itself was rather spiritless compared to the energizing feel of the circus.

As he sat, the sound of running water momentarily broke the ringing of silence echoing through the room. _"Dagger must be washin' up..."_

He was nervous to bring Dagger to see Father. They had never really seen eye-to-eye. It frustrated him in a way. He didn't understand what the baron had against Dagger, and he didn't see why his family couldn't see Father the way he did. He was still Father, he was just physically sick. He couldn't help the way he had been acting.

Beast protested about Father's orders to kidnap the children whenever the orders came in through the form of a letter addressed to 'Tom, the Piper's Son', but it was for a good cause he reassured them all. They were helping these children like Father had helped them those few years back. Without him, they would still be living on the streets of London, or worse, dead.

Releasing another sigh, Joker rose from his seat on the bed and walked over to his make-shift vanity. His hands shifted, pulling out the hair clips one by one as his orange hair was released from its wild up-do. His right hand, the skeletal prosthetic, shook slightly with the effort and he caught his bottom lip between his teeth. Even with regular inspections from Doc, the prosthetic was still a fake. It could never replace the real thing. Though it didn't matter, Joker figured, considering it had never been there to begin with.

Opening the center drawer in the desk after he had taken out his braids, he pulled out a small brush and quickly ran it through his long hair, occasionally pausing to push his bangs out of his face so he could see. As he placed his brush down on the wooden silence, the dull clack of the two meeting was drowned out as the door opened and Dagger stepped in. Joker smiled as usual, picking up a couple of his hair pins from the top of the desk and placing them between his teeth.

"Y'clean up nice. I'mma surprised," he stated, eyeing the younger boy's blond hair and noting wasn't as wild as it usually was. Dagger glanced at Joker as the two mismatched hands ran through his hair to pull it back away from his pale face.

"Can't say th'same 'bout ya," came the reply, followed by a quiet chuckle as Dagger walked over and stood beside Joker, glancing at their reflection in the mirror.

The knife-thrower glanced between the two of them. Joker was about a head taller than he was, but not much bigger otherwise. They were both fairly thin, though he supposed Joker was a tad more built that he was, considering his height and all. Either way, the younger male puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. Joker caught this out of the corner of his eye and laughed.

"What's with th'face?" he asked between chuckles.

"After all these years an' yer still taller than me!" Dagger whined. Joker glanced down at Dagger as he put one of the last hair pins in place, a small red eyebrow raised just slightly.

"Yer jus' short, Dagger."

"Nu-uh!" came the quick reply, "Jus' y'wait! I'll be taller than ya in no time!" He confirmed this with a small nod of his head as pushed himself up on his toes, using Joker's shoulder for balance as he tried to stand straight.

"Yer nineteen, I doubt yer gunna grow anymore," Joker laughed again as he moved away, causing the blond to lose his balance and nearly fall over. Dagger huffed as he watched Joker grab his jacket and pull it on, adjusting his large yellow bow overtop accordingly.

"I will. I'll 'ave a growth spurt by m'next birthday an' then you'll be sorry."

"Whatever y'say, but I know you'll still be short."

"I ain't short!"


	4. And the game begins

**Author's Note**

Okay, first things first. I changed the title of the story xD. I really never liked the original one I had picked out, "Don't Ever Say Goodbye" because the title had been rushed and picked out last minute when I posted the prologue. This one I like much more, though I guess it's still not very good. Haha.

Anyway. This chapter was hard to write for me. The Baron's character, for me, is hard to write. I had wanted to extend the time Joker and Father spent talking, but it was difficult to do.

Things _should_ start picking up in this chapter, mostly near the end, but the next chapter should be much longer and... epic? I don't know how to explain it. Unless, of course, I decide to split up the chapter. We'll see.

ENOUGH RAMBLING. Enjoy the chapter xD

* * *

It was quiet in the seemingly abandoned hallways of Baron Kelvin's mansion; the only sound was the dull tapping of their shoes against the rug-covered flooring. It was late though a little light managed to peer through the curtains that had remained closed, much to Dagger's surprise. He had assumed Father would have had the curtains drawn. There was an orange glow coming from the lit candelabra Joker held in his right hand, however, which provided enough light for the both of them to see down the never-ending hallway. The blond found it strange that he would use that rather than the lanterns and candles that lined the hallways, but he didn't bother to ask why Joker chose to use the candelabra instead.

He walked just behind Joker, dark eyebrows brought together as his honey eyes glanced over the barely-lit walls at the paintings that were hung. Most of them were family members, he assumed. He had never met anyone from the Baron's family other than his wife who had left him shortly after he had taken them all in. Many of the paintings looked like they hadn't been touched in years and he frowned. Joker was supposed to be looking after the mansion for Father, sort of like a butler would right? If he couldn't find time to even dust, then what the hell was he doing at Father's?

He opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly interrupted when Joker stopped in front of a set of large french doors on their left. Dagger gulped nervously and stepped closer to his older brother, not noticing his own hand reaching up and lightly tugging on Joker's jacket sleeve. The redhead blinked and looked at his brother before smiling slightly.

"Dun worry so much, Dagger. It ain't like 'e can 'urt ya or nothin'. 'E is stuck in a wheelchair after all," he chuckled quietly.

"I wouldn't say that, Joker," he muttered quietly, letting go of Joker's jacket and leaning away slightly after he noticed that he was grasping onto it a little too tightly. Joker shook his head before lifting his right hand and lightly knocking on the door, the wood making a hollow sound against his boney knuckles as he announced their arrival.

His gloved hand reached out and opened the door before Dagger even heard the Baron give them permission to enter. He closely followed Joker into the dark room, remaining silent as he did, thick-rimmed eyes trying to peer through the darkness in an attempt to see the heavy-set man.

"Joker! Welcome home!" Kelvin greeted with a forced grin, though it seemed to go unnoticed by Joker. It always surprised him, as well as the rest of the family, how the ring leader's mood changed so easily around Father. Joker was usually a cheerful young man, always joking, teasing and poking fun at others, but now he seemed strangely serious. His usual grin was pulled into a tight straight line and his eyes were focused so intently on the Baron across the room, almost like he was watching him carefully for some sort of signal or move.

His bow was tense yet proper for a servant, legs brought together with his left hand pressed to his chest. It wasn't a large swoop with a grin, all comical and over-dramatic like he was performing, no not at all. Dagger hesitated for a moment and wondered if he should do the same out of respect, but he had his pride. He was _not _a servant to Father. He was his "son" and he refused to bow down. He did not share the same views on him as Joker did and did not want to give that man the feeling like he was better than the both of them.

"Good evening, Father. I hope you have been well in my absence."

Dagger was surprised for a moment when he heard Joker speak. He knew the Baron had tried to teach them proper English growing up, but Joker had always been the one to disregard it. He had always said that it wasn't necessary and that people could understand him with or without upper-class English. The knife-thrower couldn't help but stare at his older brother. Why the sudden change...?

"Ah, yes, yes," came the reply from the Baron, "I've been fine, Joker my boy." It was silent for a moment and Dagger looked up to see Father's one visible eye, steel blue staring at him with an unreadable expression. He shifted uncomfortably and stepped forward slightly into the candle light instead of trying to hide behind Joker. He tugged at his striped sleeves slightly and looked up at Joker, wanting him to say something.

"Oh right..." the taller of the two muttered before quietly clearing his throat, "I've brought Dagger with me this time, Father. He has become... friends, with Ciel Phantomhive."

"Friends?" the old man asked, and for the first time ever, Dagger thought he sounded _giddy_. It made him sick, but he nodded in response.

"He might be able to convince Ciel to come to the mansion."

"Joker, I tol' ya I wasn't gunna –"

"The Earl? Here?" the Baron smiled and Dagger felt his stomach drop. "At last! Joker, you must make arrangements as quickly as possible."

"Now 'old on a sec—" Dagger started, but was quickly interrupted when he felt a hand press firmly against his chest. He looked at Joker with his mouth agape. He had told Joker he wasn't going to bring Ciel here. He wasn't going to be responsible for the child's death for Christ's sake!

"Of course, Father," Joker replied with a bow of his head, "now if you will excuse us." Joker turned on his heel, leading Dagger out with a hand on his back. Dagger scowled, his hands tightening into fists at his sides as they left the room.

* * *

"What th'ell was that, Joker!" Dagger exclaimed angrily as he walked into Joker's bedroom, turning to face his older brother while his arms flailed slightly with his eyes narrowed. Joker simply sighed quietly and he shut the door, barely able to hear the dull click when the door closed. His right hand reached up and tugged at his bow to loosen it, walking past Dagger as he did. He dropped the yellow fabric onto the night stand next to his bed, paying no attention as it fell into a lump in front of the photograph of himself and Father.

"Dagger, it ain't a big deal," he replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Ain't a big deal! Joker, 'e's gunna kill Ciel an' y'know that!" the blond exclaimed, looking at his brother with an astounded expression clearly written across his face. He watched as Joker leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his lips pursing together before looking up at Dagger with his violet eyes through ginger bangs.

"An' jus' 'ow exactly is tha' a bad thing?" Joker asked. " 'e killed Doll, didn't 'e? An' God knows 'ow many more 'e's killed, 'e is th'Queen's watchdog after all. A life fer a life ain't too bad of a deal if ya ask me."

"Then what 'bout us?" spat Dagger angrily. "We ain't much better! Kidnappin' th'kids fer Father... killin' off their parents an' anyone else who 'appens ta be 'round so we can't git caught. It ain't right, so what 'bout us!"

Joker fell silent. He had to admit Dagger had a point. It wasn't like he enjoyed doing what he did, taking the children and killing off others, and he knew it was wrong. It had always bothered him, made his stomach turn violently every time he received a letter from Father knowing that not only he, but his family as well, would be thrown back into a world most would dare not venture.

"Then maybe we should 'ave th'same done ta us..." he thought aloud.

"What!"

"A life fer a life."

Dagger gritted his teeth together. This wasn't like Joker. He didn't like this almost... _darker_ side of his older brother. He felt the sudden urge to strike the older man, knock some sense into him. Had he gone mad? He just sat there on the bed, an almost blank expression on his face and a limpness to his posture. He looked like a child that knew they had done something wrong, and that fact alone scared him a little. He was supposed to be the younger brother, the child, not the other way around.

Joker stood and straightened himself out, suddenly becoming a head taller than the blond. "Y'should probably be gittin' back ta London in the mornin'. Go see Ciel an' all."

"Joker. I've tol' ya. I ain't –"

"Dagger, please."

There was something hidden behind Joker's voice that made Dagger hesitate, made his expression soften for a moment. He relaxed slightly, but kept his eyes narrowed as he looked up at the redheaded male.

"Fine," he agreed half-heartily. "I'll go. I can't promise I'll git th'kid 'ere though."

Joker's mouth opened to say something as he watched Dagger turn quickly but was interrupted by the slam of his bedroom door.


End file.
